A report from the Eno Center for Transportation calls for taking air traffic control out of the Federal Aviation Administration in favor of either a government corporation or an independent, nonprofit organization. It also proposes a new funding structure that relies on user fees, rather than the current mix of taxes and general funds.
The report, titled Time for Reform: Delivering Modern Air Traffic Control, says changes are needed because “the federal government has proved unable to expediently modernize ATC.”
“Without significant changes, the American air traffic control system will not be able to cope with expected traffic growth, new complexities in the global air space or critical upgrades,” said Robert Puentes, president and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation.
The report finds that spinning off air traffic control would create a more stable system than the current one, which is subject to political uncertainty. A separate system would not depend on annual budget appropriations, nor be subject to budget sequesters and government shutdowns. In the long run this will make running ATC cheaper, providing benefits for the economy and the traveling public, the report contends.
In addition, Eno recommends that the funding for the system should be replaced with user fees, as opposed to the current mix of taxes and general revenues.
The Eno Center for Transportation is an independent, nonpartisan think tank that promotes policy innovation and leads professional development in the transportation industry.
